My Favourite Body Care Products - Keeping My Skin Extra Soft!

The first official post of 2023 and I thought I would start with a little bit of beauty. You'll be seeing some more beauty posts this year! During the pandemic I made it my mission to go through all of my products, I wanted to finish everything up and narrow down my top favourites! I was tired of having an overflowing cabinet of lotions and soaps that I rarely used. I think we are all feeling the same way.... I guess all those "makeup collection" and "beauty room tour" videos on youtube influenced us more than we would like to admit. Either way, I've decluttered and now that I have a smaller bundle of products I can tell you which ones I've been re-buying! This also gives me more room to try out new products from time to time! 

As you probably saw from the title todays post is all about body care. My main goal is for my skin to be really smooth, soft and healthy. I also don't like a complicated routine. Don't expect a 10-step beauty routine from me lol. I went through some beauty ads and articles from the past (1930s-1960s) and tried to find inspiration or something groundbreaking but at the end of the day basics and simplicity are key. It also helps with consistency, if you have too many steps its easy to get lazy or skip a few steps. I also don't want to feel like I'm tied down to a lengthy routine.  With that being said these are my top favourite body care products! 

Pears Soap

Starting with the ultimate basic, a good old bar of soap. And yes I know body wash is more popular among Millennials and Gen Z... but hear me out! I used to be a huge fan of body wash, I thought it was more "hygienic" because it was in a bottle and I could pair it with my favourite body mists and lotions.  As a side note - for years I had little bumps on the back of my arms and the occasional acne, I blamed the heater in the winter and thought it was causing some form of reaction on my skin. After reading so many old magazines I decided to try a bar of soap (Mainly to make my life a bit more vintage lol) and let me tell you... I will never go back to body wash! The bumps on my arms completely disappeared and my arms have never been smoother.  It's been about two years now I'm so glad I made the switch. I tried a few different soaps but I ended up sticking with Pears. I mean this particular soap has been around since 1807 so they must be doing something right. I also love that pears as a company has stuck to what they know, they only produce soaps, body wash and hand wash, thats it! They don't try to come out with tons of new products to make more money, I respect that. 

I've tried all three scents but my favourite is the orange one. It's the original scent, which I wont lie... Might not be for everyone, but I love it. It does have a bit of an "old-timey" scent, but not in a "grandma, Chanel N.5" kind of way, its more of a.... what you would imagine someone smells like in an old photograph from like the turn of the century...way?  I like to think of the scent as "a hug from an ancestor".... not sure if I'm doing a good job selling it (lol) but if you appreciate vintage - Which I'm sure you do since you are following me lol- then this might intrigue you. I use this soap every single day in my shower and I like to use it with a sponge, NOT a loofah because I find hem too abrasive for my skin. I should've taken a photo of my sponge, I got it at shoppers drug mart but this one on amazon looks the same.  It's soft when dry, not one of those that are hard and soften when they come in contact with water.  You can find Pears soap in practically every drugstore or grocery store, I checked amazon and its a million times more expensive (?) so physically go to a store to get it because its under $5 for a box of 3. 

Nivea Pure and Natural Body Milk

 I am someone who practically bathes in lotion after a shower, I slather it on as if I have a lifetime supply of free lotion. Where I live in Canada the winters are very dry and it does take a toll on your skin if you don't moisturize properly. Like I mentioned above I was using scented body lotions that paired with my body wash, and those lotions are great for a night out or if you want your scent to be more prominent but they are not meant for deep moisturizing. Along with that I have always had a bottle of Johnson's baby lotion (Literally since I was a baby I've always bought it) but I was a bit bored of smelling like a literal toddler. So I went on the hunt for a new body lotion!  During the pandemic I parted ways with all of my scented lotions (I kept 2) and I just wanted one every day lotion. I wanted something that would moisturize my skin and keep it really soft. I also wanted something with a clean/fresh "body lotion" scent. I wear perfume every day so I didn't want something that would clash with other scents. I tried tons of different lotions until I landed on this Nivea pure and natural body milk. I really like Niveas products, and this lotion is from the pure and natural line which is the same as the one as my daytime moisturizer, if you remember from My Holy Grail Products post (link here), along with other Nivea products.  So I guess I should've started my search there. 

This is a body milk - so I guess technically not a lotion or cream- but it is so soft and melts into the skin beautifully! I've gone through almost 5 bottles of it and it is hands down my favourite lotion I've ever used. This winter I haven't had a single dry path or... you know when your skin so dry its a bit itchy? especially on your back.... I haven't experience that this winter. Since it also melts into the skin there is no residue which is great and important for protecting your clothes. Like I said, scent was also important to me and this one is very light and fresh and smells clean (Like you just stepped out of the shower). It allows me to wear my perfumes which was really important to me. And the best part is its under $12 (I've seen it cheaper if you get it on sale!) 

Talcum Powder - Felce Azzurra

Ok this might be a random favourite, and I won't lie the only reason I started using talcum powder is because I wanted to live my old Hollywood starlet life. Those big powder puffs are so glamorous and I wanted to feel glamorous too. When you think of talcum powder we often think of Johnsons baby powder. But again I didn't want to smell like a toddler, I wanted something more feminine. I found this one by Felce Azzurra, its an Italian company and they have been making this talcum powder since 1926. I really love the fresh - powdery- scent without it making you smell like a baby- more what I would imagine a girl in the 1920s would smell like after a bath.  I added a link for you to be able to purchase this powder above! I got mine in store (local grocery stores sells it) but it is harder to come by. The one I got also came in that blue container which is.... fine... it does its job of storing it but, it's a bit hard to open and I don't like the blue plastic colour on the counter. So I started pouring it into this glass container I thrifted. It perfectly fits the powder puff with some powder at the bottom! However the one I linked on amazon comes with a PINK powder puff ! and I'm jealous because mine is white with a blue bow (Might change the bow to pink now lol). I don't use this powder every day in the winter, just a couple of days a week but I tend to use it almost every day in the summer, in the morning when I'm getting ready.  As much as I love this powder I also have my eye on the Yardley powder in English rose, I love the packaging so I might have to give that a try after I'm done this powder. 

Baby Powder - Johnsons Baby Powder

This might be contradictory to what I just said about Baby Powder BUT I have been using this one for YEARS and it works really well. When I'm getting ready in the morning I like to use baby powder on my feet, it locks in moisture keeping my feet soft without drying them out, It also helps with preventing sweating! I remember my grandfather would put baby powder directly in his shoes, its definitely an older practice haha. I'm not as intense, and I don't want all my shoes covered in baby powder so I put the powder directly on my feet. I wear tights basically every day, and I don't always wear vintage ones made from natural fabrics, I end up wearing modern Nylon tights. The baby powder is the perfect pairing for keeping my feet fresh and soft.  From the photos above you are probably wondering about the bottle that I'm holding and its actually an old talcum powder container from Avon!  I thrifted it, deadstock in its original packaging and it looks beautiful on the counter. I'm sure if you do a little bit of digging you can find something similar on Etsy if you are interested. 

Nivea Hand Cream - Q10

Hand cream is really important for soft, healthy looking hands. Grace Kelly religiously applied hand cream throughout the day because the claimed a "womans age is first shown through her hands". She was also known to apply sunscreen to her hands. I've always had long skinny-slightly wrinkly- fingers, I call them my ET hands lol. People always tell me I should've played piano because my fingers are so long and stretch out pretty far.  I do find my hands looks older, than the average person in their late 20s and my mom is the exact same way so its just genetics, and there isn't much you can do to change genetics. But I found this Nivea hand cream that is "suppose" to be anti-aging and help with fine lines on your hand. I'm not sure how true that is, I've only gone though two bottles but I'm not expecting any miracles. However I will say my hands are incredibly soft! I used to use hand cream from the body shop with all those fun scents, but like I mentioned, I wanted to simplify my routine and stick to more classic/clean scents and let my perfume be the main scent. I tried a couple of hand creams from the drugstore and this one is the best one in my opinion!  Even if you are not interested in the anti-aging aspect of it, it truly makes my hands so soft and moisturized that they look healthier and more plump (well as plump as my ET hands can look lol) That mixed with wearing gloves every time you go outside in the winter, you will be surprised how big of a difference it makes.  

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Shower Gel and Lotion

Ok this is more of an honourable mention, I've talked this entire post about clean classic scents and simplifying my routine, but there is still a bit of wiggle room for some fun products! As many of you know Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel is my signature scent and has been for years (This might be changing this year, but thats a post for another day). Similarly to my skincare routine I've also narrowed down my perfume collection to my favourites 5 scents, the main one being Coco Mademoiselle! Its the one I always use and most often associated with me by friends and family! Scented lotions and shower gels are great for pairing with a particular scent, not the best for every day moisture, but amazing for when I have a special event (a date, night out, a vintage show, fashion show etc) I like to use it to make my perfume last longer. As you can see from the photo my shower gel is almost done haha, but I'm not in a rush to buy a new one until this one is used up. Lotions and shower gels expire over time so its not a good idea to fill up your bathroom with products. I don't use it that often that, so I don't feel like I need to have a backup, It can wait until my birthday in June (And like I mentioned my signature scent might be changing...) 

2023 - Products I Want to Try! 

I'm a pretty loyal person when it comes to products and brands. Once I find something I love and it works I will keep buying it. If you go through all of my beauty posts you will see the same items pop up over time. Even though I have an incredible routine going right now I still enjoy trying new products! There are a few things I would love to try like the Yardley talcum powder in english rose, I would also like to find a relaxing bubble bath. I don't take bubble baths often but it would be nice once in a while!.  however a new Foot cream/balm is at the top of my list, I used to use the Neutrogena Norwegian foot cream and it was INCREDIBLE, but its been discontinued and I haven't been able to find a replacement.  Those are just things at the top of my head, who knows what items I will find in stores during the year. Let me know what your favourite body care product is, or if there is one you think I should try in the comments below!